Trust the Unseen
by Darth Vice
Summary: Voldemort has been defeated but not by the person everyone thought was the Chosen One. Harry and Ron perished in the final battle and Hermione is left to her grief. She seems to see them everywhere and it is only making matters worse. Is it due to her grief stricken mind or is there something more going on?


Title: Trust the Unseen

Author: Darth Vice

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: So when I say I own nothing that is literally what I mean. The idea for this fanfic came from watching Sirrah78's fan made vid by the same name. I changed a few events to stick closer with the books but the idea belongs to her. I suggest watching the vid once you have read the fic. This is a one shot and there will be no other chapters to follow. Hope you enjoy.

They had all been mistaken all along. All that time they had thought Harry had been the chosen one but they had been wrong. You see that's the thing about prophecies, their confusion wrapped in a riddle. You can never be absolutely sure of their meaning until they have come to fruition. Prophecies are dangerous things, for in hearing a prophecy you start down a road either to avoid it or make it come true and in the end cause the opposite. It's been documented throughout history in fiction and in reality and yet few heed the warning.

The Great Hall was bare once more as it had been for Cederic's funeral. From the barren rafters hung the black banners of a mourning Hogwarts. The tables had been removed and benches sat in rows. The room was filled not only with students and teachers but with their families as well. Again the students of Hogwarts were burying a fellow student and to many a friend, well actually two. It was a somber room despite the recent victory.

For you see Voldemort had been defeated only not by the one they had expected. Neville, the one everyone had so easily brushed aside as non threatening, even Voldemort himself, had struck the killing blow. Harry had so nobly gone to the woods to offer himself up and was rewarded only with death. Ron, realizing the death of his best friend, threw caution to the wind and tried to attack Voldemort only to meet the same fate. And it was at that moment that Neville found his courage and used the distraction to lash out. Caught off guard Voldemort was at and immediate disadvantage and to the shock of everyone Neville, the shy unremarkable boy, killed the greatest evil wizard to ever live.

And that was why on this day Hermione found herself quite alone. She had lost her two best friends and the pain was unbearable. Not only had she lost her friends but she had lost her love. Ron and her had finally decided to stop being in denial and admit their feelings and it had been wonderful. That first kiss, which turned out to be their last as well. She closed her eyes and tried her best to hold it together. She had been crying since their deaths. And though in a way she appreciated it, it hurt that everyone seemed to be leaving her to herself. No one had really stopped to talk to her, offer their condolences, nothing. She had written to her parents but was still waiting for a reply. Maybe it just felt too awkward for everyone with the way she had been blubbering.

"A true tragedy indeed. Taken long before their time, their heroism will not be forgotten."

She tried to focus on what Headmistress McGonagal was saying to those gathered but she was having a hard time focusing. All she could do was think about the past, all of the memories haunting her mind. She remembered reaching for Ron's hand instinctively when they had seen Buckbeak for the so time. At that time she had been so embarrassed and so concerned he would see how she truly felt. Now she wished he had so they had had more time together. She remembered how Ron had held her when they thought Buckbeak had been slaughtered. So gentle, so loving. How had she been so blind to his affection? And Harry, always so ready to comfort another person. They had always been her true support. And now they were gone. She could feel the tears rising up again and she tried to hold them back.

She felt bitter hearted. How could Dumbeldore have been so wrong? He had heard the prophecy. He was supposed to be wise. He had lead them all to believe that he knew what he was talking about. He had set Harry up to be slaughtered and because of it Ron had perished as well. A part of her would never forgive him.

This only solidified her hate for Divination. It was in her eyes a waste of time and now proved only to be dangerous and false in nature. She had seen what prophecy could do and would never trust it again. How foolish could you be to trust a ranting person? How foolish could you be to want to know your future? It was human nature to try to change the future but that was an impossibility. She would fight now to take Divination out of the curriculum at Hogwarts.

"We ask that you remember their families in this time of grief as you mourn with them."

As the service came to an end the benches were moved to the sides and people began to mingle. Hermione sat to the side watching them. She felt anger bubble at those who laughed even if it was over a happy moment. How could they so quickly move on? How could they so easily brush off the sorrow?

She sat as usual book in hand but this time it was not a textbook but her journal. Flipping slowly through it she felt the tears again. She recalled the first time they had all met. How could she have known that chance meeting that day on the Hogwarts Express would change her life forever. Not one for making friends she had spent much of her childhood up to that point alone. Books had been her friends. It wasn't often you could find her nose not buried in one. Even Harry and Ron had found her pretentious when first meeting her but kind hearted as they were they had soon found friendship. And through that friendship Hermione had been shaped. She was still the smart bookish type but she had relaxed and found more to life.

Suddenly she caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of her eye. Looking up quickly she thought she saw Harry standing there before her. Her heart stopped for a moment and she smiled but then the image faded away like a mirage in the desert. She felt her heart plummet. For a moment, just a moment she had fooled herself. She had let herself believe that they had all been mistaken and that her friends had somehow survived but it was nothing more than a hopeful dream. She felt sick and weaved her way through the crowed and out of the Great Hall.

She trudged through the oh so familiar castle. Feeling so hopeless and lost. These halls would never again hold any joy for her. All they would do is bring back memories. Memories that used to bring her joy but would now only bring her pain. She contemplated leaving Hogwarts but it was still her dream to follow a magical life. She shook her head. Why did this have to happen?

She paused seeing Neville staring out a window forlornly. She felt guilty for a moment. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling. He had adored Harry and Ron. She was sure she saw guilt written all over his face.

"Neville?" She approached him. "Are you alright?"

"I was the chosen one?" He mumbled. "It was me all along. Harry lost everything and all because of a mistake."

"Neville you can't blame yourself. Everyone thought it was Harry."

"Why couldn't I save them. They were my friends and I couldn't even save them." His eyes never left the window.

"Neville look at me."

He didn't turn to look at her though. He didn't even acknowledge that she had spoken. "He died for no reason."

"You alright Longbottom?" Professor Sprout took his arm and lead him away.

He didn't even say goodbye to Hermione. She shrugged. He was grief stricken. Maybe he hadn't heard a word she had said. She was worried about him. He seemed so distant and guilt ridden. She hoped that he could someday move past all this even though she was sure she would not. He deserved something good in his life. He had lost almost as much as Harry had. Though his parents were alive they would never recognize him again. But at least he still had his grandmother. She had a feeling though that he would never look back on the defeat of Voldemort with pride. He would always associate it with the deaths of his friends.

Hermione spent hours roaming the halls until she could no longer stand it. She finally returned to the Gryffindor common room. She changed into something comfortable and sat in front of the fire. She had tried to coax Crookshanks out from under her bed but he would not come to her. She had gotten frustrated finally yelling at the cat to stay where he was, that she didn't care.

She sat up for hours. Long after everyone had gone to bed. She simply stared into the fire, lost in her own miserable thoughts. Occasionally she would stand and pace about the room, feeling that if she remained still a moment longer she would burst. On one of her turns she came face to face with Ron. He had this disappointed look on his face. She shook her head and once again the image disappeared. Was she losing her mind? Was this going to be her life from no on? Would she forever see their images haunting her yet unable to communicate?

She finally climbed the stairs and crawled into her bed. Everyone else was sleeping peacefully. She closed her eyes but images of her friends flashed before her eyes. Once again she cried herself to sleep. And her dreams were riddled with nightmares of their deaths. When she woke the next morning she felt as though she hadn't slept at all. She realized everyone else had already risen and gone to breakfast. She growled. How could they not be courteous enough to wake her?

She dressed quickly and rushed to join them. She sat by herself once more and couldn't even touch the food in front of her. She simply sat there watching everyone else go about their lives as though nothing had happened. It made her so angry. It was as though they were buried and forgotten in a day. The Patil sisters walked by arm in arm laughing over something. Hermione had had it.

"How can you just forget them?!" She shouted.

They walked by without a glance and Hermione broke down again. It was like her and Neville were the only ones who cared. How could everyone just move on? Didn't they know that two of the kindest, greatest people in the world were gone? She just didn't understand them. Even if they hadn't been the closest of friends they had still known them. You didn't just forget someone like that.

Classes where going to continue despite everything so Hermione left the hall to go to class. As she entered no one looked up, not even the teacher seemed to notice her. Perhaps it was all in her head. Maybe she just wanted to feel victimized. She didn't know but all this ignoring was beginning to get on her nerves. She sat in her usual seat and tried to focus on what the teacher was saying but it was impossible. She kept glancing to Harry and Ron's usual seats which were being kept empty out of respect. She could see them though. Sitting there like they always had. She simply could not imagine life without them. Forever she would turn to expect them there. Look up hopefully when a door opened. Walk down to the commons room and expect to see them sitting by the fireplace. The would always be unseen but there with her.

The rest of the day was the same. One class after another she sat unlistening. She ran through their lives together. All the good times and the bad. She had been sure there for a while that Harry and Ron would never reconcile after the Triwizard episode and yet they had made it through. They always did, until now.

Finally lunch rolled around. Once again Hermione could not eat. She saw a paper laying on the table and pulled it towards her. Neville's picture was on the front. The title declared him as the slayer of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. She didn't bother to read the article. She really didn't want to relive flipped through a few pages and then stopped on one when she caught sight of Ron and Harry's pictures. What was really on the page didn't sink in at first. There was her picture as well right in the middle. The title read "Tragic Friends Die Together". She read it over and over and suddenly it hit her.

She remembered. She remembered when Ron had rushed forward she had tried to grab him. Out of the corner of her eye she had seen Nagini coming at them and she had turned to confront the snake but it was too late. She had felt the hit of it's jaws around her neck. She knew she was going to die so in her last moments she took the snake with her, hitting it with a killing curse. Voldemort's fury and pain had been enough of a distraction to allow Neville the advantage he needed.

She was dead. But how could she be dead? She thought back and it all started to make sense. No one had been ignoring her, they couldn't see her or hear her. This was why she had never heard back from her parents. She had never actually written the letter. She suddenly realized she couldn't hear or feel her heart beating in her chest. It was true then. She was dead.

"I'm dead." She said it out loud, trying to make it more real.

"We've been trying to get you to realize that all this time Mione." Ron's familiar voice spoke from behind her.

She turned around and saw Harry and Ron standing there smiling at her. The looked the same as ever. She rushed towards them and hugged them both with a sob. "I've missed you both so much."

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked through one of the outdoor hallways. Ron was trying his best to assure Hermione that being dead wasn't so bad. You could check in on people from time to time and the places you could go where amazing. She seemed still hesitant. It was hard leaving life behind and all those that you loved. She knew she would be checking in on Neville and trying somehow to help him through his guilt and grief.

"Everything is going to change now isn't it?" She spoke the words she had once in a time that seemed so long ago.

"Change yes." Harry answered. "But at least we have each other still."

"Well that's true."Hermione mused. She took them arm and arm. " Well time for a new adventure."

As they walked off into the distance, Hermione said one last goodbye to Hogwarts as she had known it in life and then the inseparable trio was gone.


End file.
